Posts by Ephraim Costilow
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
One of the most beautiful truths found in Scripture is that every person is intentionally created by God. In Psalm 139:14–16, David praises the Lord, saying, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”These words remind us that our lives are not accidents or afterthoughts. God personally designed each of us with purpose, care, and love. David goes on to describe how God knew him even before he was born. “My frame was not hidden from you, when I was How COVID has affected us
Sieze the Time
Freya excitedly told me one morning, “I don’t have school today!” I simply told her that was the beauty of school. She gets to take a break during the summer. She loved that! This exchange highlights a beautiful truth about how God designs our lives. He does not give us just one continuous experience (that would be extremely boring); instead, He guides us through distinct, purposeful seasons. Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time for everything. Verse 11 says, How COVID has affected us
Following Jesus
Tonight, I’m kicking off a new series with the youth on ‘Following Jesus’. Following Jesus is not simply about believing certain truths, it’s about living a transformed life. When Jesus called His first disciples, He didn’t hand them a list of rules or a detailed plan. He gave a simple invitation: “Follow Me”. That same invitation is extended to us today. To follow Jesus means to walk in relationship with Him daily. It is a journey shaped by trust, surrender, How COVID has affected us
Faith Through the Fire
When tragedy hits, the standard Sunday morning clichés often feel hollow. Whether it’s a sudden medical diagnosis, the loss of a loved one, a financial collapse, or a flood in the basement, the “blessed and highly favored” sentiment often breaks under the weight of real-world struggles. But staying faithful doesn’t mean suppressing our human responses—it means inviting God into the middle of it. First, we need to ditch the Filter: God Can Handle Your Anger. Many believers feel they must How COVID has affected us
Waiting Well
Waiting is rarely our favorite word. We live in a world of instant answers, fast decisions, and quick fixes. Yet so often, God invites us into seasons of waiting. Waiting for clarity. Waiting for direction. Waiting for the next step. The Bible reminds us that waiting is not wasted time when it’s placed in God’s hands. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will How COVID has affected us
Forever Changed
Following Jesus is not merely adopting a new set of beliefs; it is a journey of spiritual rebirth that results in an everlasting change. This transformation is rooted in the promise that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old self, governed by sin and worldly desires, gives way to a new life with an altered nature and renewed desires. This change is How COVID has affected us
Middle School on Mission
This Saturday, 18 of us will leave the parking lot of KCC and head to Crandon, Wisconsin, for our middle school mission trip. We will be working inside two area reservations (the Potawatomi and the Chippewa), pouring the love of Jesus into the kids through various games and activities. Our middle schoolers will get a taste of what it is like to be ‘on mission’ for Jesus. They will spend an entire week not thinking of themselves, but rather serving How COVID has affected us
The Upside-Down Kingdom
How can anyone read the Sermon on the Mount and not be changed? The message Jesus gives in Matthew chapters 5-7 is a remarkable masterpiece. Jesus’ main point in his message in these chapters is to piece together what the OT scriptures had been saying all along. As he said, he came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. He came to bring it to life. Many times this message is hailed as revolutionary, and new. But if How COVID has affected us
Graduating with God
Graduation is more than a ceremony. It’s a milestone — a moment where the past meets the future and you stand on the edge of the unknown. Whether you’re finishing high school or stepping out of college, this moment comes with excitement, questions, and maybe even some fear. As Christian graduates, we have the incredible gift of not walking into the future alone. We walk with God. 1. Trust God with What’s Next You might not have all the answers. How COVID has affected us
Stepping Into The Light
It’s been a long winter, and I think I speak for most of you when I say WE ARE SICK OF IT! We are ready for it to leave for good. Unfortunately we all know it will be back again next year. Stay with me before you step into a dark and dismal depression; next winter may not be as bad, but It will be back nonetheless. Just like winter, we will experience various highs and lows along our spiritual walk How COVID has affected us